Golf ball



A. S. CHATFIELD GOLF BALL Filed Jan. 11, 1923 [NVENTOR Augus fus 5. Chu'i'field ,4 TTORNE Y Patented Jan. 2 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES AUGUS TUS S. GHATFIELD,- F FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

GOLF BALL.

Application filed January 11, 1923. Serial No. 612,086.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it k'nown that I, AUeUs'rUs S. CHAT- rmm), a citizen of the United States, and

. Improvements in Golf Balls, of which the following is a specification. 1 My invention relates to'a game cially adapted for use in golf, and the invention will therefore be described hereinafter as embodied in a golf ball with the understanding that a ball of similar structure may be employed in other games or sports.

The general object of my invention 1s to provide a ball of this type which has proper elasticity or resiliency under certa1n COIldltions, for instance, when driven, and has suflicient or approximate rigidity under other conditions, for instance, when putted; is roperly weighted at the center and accurate y balanced, with the center of gravity very accurately located at the center of the ball, and in which a central portion or core of novel advantageous characteristics is provided.

For the above and other purposes the invention provides as an important feature a flexible or resilient core member for balls of this type in which a multiplicity of lugs or columns of substantial length and th1ckness and distinctly separated from each other, extend radially from a central sphere or ball. v

, lhis core is adapted to various ball structures. lit provides a very desirable center for a wound core,and therefore the core member as above described may be wound to spherical form with rubber bands or threads under tension, and this complete wound core, so produced maybe enclosed in ashell or covering of any suitable con-' struction such as the shell construction hereinafter described.

@therwise the flexible or resilient core consisting of a spherical center and radiating lugs as above described and without windings, may be enclosed in any suitable shell or cover structure.

Most desirably the core includes a center wei ht or load for the complete ball, this loa or weight consisting usually; of a steel,

ball centrally enclosed in the s herical center of the core member. By t is arrange ball espement the center weight may be very accurately located in the spherical center of the core member and also in the center of the entire core, or in other words at the center of a sphere whose perimeter is the outer ends of the radial lugs above referred to, and when the complete core is enclosed in a sultable shell the center ball or load is accurately centered in relation to the perimeter of the completed golf ball.

When the core without windings'is enclosed in a suitable shell'or casing a body of air-or other fluid is confined between the spherical core. center and the inner shell surface. This fluid body may be under more or less compression, and itcan circulate freely between the separated lugs or columns of the core throughout the space between the spherical core center and the inner shell wall. This fluid body acts together with the resilient radial lugs to flexibly support the shell or casing, giving the desired flexibility of the complete ball under heavy blows as in driving, and when the casing, is of suitable construction and proportlons affording substantially or approximately unyielding resistance to light blows as in puttin The invention nection with such a core member, a suitable shell or casing which is desirably in a plurality of layers of different materials, or materials of difierent qualites such as varying degrees of hardness or elasticity. In one particular and'preferred form as shown of relatively bar or stiflf although properly flexible and resilient, rubber com osition surrounded by a layer which is usually substantially integral, of relatively softer and The characteristics and advantages of the l irther provides in con ill) herein the casin comprises an inner layer 7 ltlll invention are further suficiently described in connection with the following detail dewhich show certain exemplifying embo iments of the invention. After considering these embodiments ersons skilled in scription of the accompanying drawin s the art will understand t at variations may be made within the scope of the invention, and l contemplate the employment of any steel ball.

structures that are roperly within the scope of the appended aims.

Figure 1 is an .exterior view ofacompleted ball embodying the invention with one-half of the outer casing layer removed.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of a complete ball embodying the lIlVGl'ltlOIL;

Figure 3 is an elevation of a core member embodying the invention in one form, shown in relation to two halves of a casing structure also embodying the invention, these halves when put together about the core constituting the inner and an intermediate layer of the complete ball shell or casing.

Figure 4 is a section of one of the casing halves of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an'elevation of a core member with suitable windings of rubber bands or threads. I

A complete ball embodying my invention in one preferred form as shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a core designated as a whole by reference character C, Figure 3, casing sections H Figure 3, and an outer layer or shell S, Figure 1. The core comprises a spherical center enclosing a load or weight 11 which is desirably a The wall of the center 10 sur} rounding the ball is of moderate thickness, sufficient, however, to pro erly support columns or lugs 12 which ra iate from it in equally spaced relation. The core consists of a suitable rubber composition usually containing a high percentage of rubber and decidedly flexible and resilient. The weight 11 is accurately supported and centered in the core center 10 and the core is then vulcanized about the ball which is thereafter retained accurately in the geometrical center defined by the outer ends of lugs 12. The lugs or columns are desirably of substantially uniform diameter from base to tip, and they are preferably as shown entirely separated from each other at the base.

Casing sections H are desirably produced in originally separate form as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and two of these sections are put together toenclose a core and vulcanized, whereupon they become substantially integral. The inner surface of the casing members thereupon confines a body of fluid 13, which is usuall air, although other fluids may be used i. desired, and this fluid may circulate freely throughout the chamber around the separated lugs or columns 12. The radial dimensions of the lugs are usually slightly greater than the radius from the core center to the inner shell wall in the completed ball so that when the shell sections H are put together in the manner described, compressed and vulcaniaed, the columns are under substantial radial compression or in a state of elastic tension. The described method of assembly also revides for a certain compression of the .uid

in chamber 13, and the amount of compressi-on may be increased by known or suitable means when necessary or desirable.

The casing members H desirably consist of at least two more or less distinct layers 14 and 15. These layers may be of different rubber compositions so that when vulcanized they have different characteristics. In a particular case, the inner layer 14 is desirably of a relatively harder or stiffer material, and the outer layer 15, which constitutes an intermediate layer of the complete ball in the preferred form as shown in Fig 2, is of a relatively softer and more resi ient material. purpose may be properly compounded so that when vulcanized in the form shown in Figures 3 and 4 the desired qualities will be produced in the completed article.

An outer or shell layer S, Figures 1 and 2, is then applied and molded or vulcanized in any usual or suitable way, this outer layer usually consisting of gutta percha or balata, producing the complete ball as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The outer layer or shell S is adequately supported by the inner casing layers 14 and 15, and the casing layers are in turn suported between initially compressed core ugs to yield resilientl to heavy blows, and the resilient action 0 the ball is enhanced by the intermediate casing layer 15 of relatively flexible material. The structure is at the same time sufficiently stiff and un ielding so that it does not yield apprecia ly to 1i ht blows in 1putting. The ball is proper y loaded wit a relatively large part of the weight in the center and the loadin is moreover accurately centered in the bal so that it goes true either in the air or on the ground.

Evidently the casing structure surrounding the core member may be varied greatly, and while the complete structure as above described is a preferred form of the invention, I contemplate the employment of the core as shown, or its mechanical equivalent, in connection with various casing structures.

Figure 4 shows the core member sup lied with a winding 20 of rubber ban s or threads applied under tension. This winding may extend substantially flush with the outer ends of lugs 12 or slightly beyond the ends of the lugs as shown in Fig. 5. The complete center member, consisting of the core with windings, may then be placed in any suitable shell structure of which the structure shown in Fig. 1 is one example. The core member C constructed as above described afiords a very desirable and advantageous base or center for the roper winding of a wound core. It enab es the winding to be placed accurately and uniformly to produce a truly spherical and properly balanced center structure or wound core The rubber mixtures for this Ill with a load or metal ball accurately located at the center of the complete structure. I therefore claim the core structure substantially as shown, or its equivalent, as adapted for utilization in the above described or other types of ball construction.

While rubber or rubber composition is a desirable material for the casing or casing layers 1% and 15 in many instances, other materials may be used, and especially other materials may be substituted for the casing layer 14. One example of a suitable ma terial for this inner casing layer is celluloid or one of the celluloid substitutes, and in this case the inner layer may be made in two halves suitably united, and the outer layer 15 may be of rubber composition, rovided in halves after the general fas ion indicated in Figure 3, placed together about the inner layer 'and vulcanized. Another material suitable for the inner layer 14: is metal of suitable thickness with due regard to the total weight of the ball. When a metal inner shell or layer 14 is provided, of moderate thickness, with an intermediate or cushion layer 15 of suitable rubber composition, v the cushion layer provides the necessary resiliency and the metal layer itself has substantial resiliency although it is of course not so compressible as rubber composition.

I claim:

1. A core for playing balls, of elastic material and comprising a substantially spherical central portion and integral therewith a multi hcity of equally spaced, separate, radial lugs of substantial length and substantially uniform diameter, and a metal ball enclosed and centrally located in said central portion.

2. A core for playing balls adapted for utilization in various ball structures, said core'consisting of a resilient material and;

including a central portion with integral other at their bases, equally spaced over the entire peripher of said central portion and extending ra ially therefrom, and a heavy weight member centrally locatedwithin said central portion ofthe core.

3. A core for playing balls adapted for utilization in various ball structures, said core consisting of a resilient and flexible rubber composition and including a spherical central portion with integral lugs of substantial length and substantially uniform diameter, and separated from each other at their bases equally spaced over the entire periphery of said central portion and extending radially therefrom, and a metal sphere centrally located within said central portion of the core.

4. A playing ball comprising a core including a spherical center, a multiplicity of separated integral lugs of substantial length equally spaced about the periphery of the central portion and extending radially therefrom, and a metal ball enclosed within said central portion, and a casing surrounding the core and having an inner wall engaging and initially compressing said lugs and confining a fluid body which is free to circulate about the lugs.

5. A playing ball comprising a core including a spherical center, a multiplicity of separated integral lugs of substantial length equally spaced about the periphery of the central portion and extending radially therefrom, and a metal ball enclosed within said central portion, and a casing comprising an outer layer of relatively stiff and hard material such as gutta percha, an inner layer offlexible and resilient rubber com position and an intermediate layer of relatively more flexible and resilient rubber composition.

, Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 10th day 0f January A. D.

lugs of substantial length and substantially uniform diameter, separated from each AUGUSTUS S. OHATFIELD. 

